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AHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers Stomp IceHogs 4-1 to Earn Weekend Sweep

March 13, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC - Rockford came looking for revenge after a lopsided loss last night, but the Checkers again proved to be too much, downing the IceHogs by a score of 4-1 to earn a weekend sweep.

Unlike last night, it was the IceHogs who got on the board early, with Tanner Kero potting one 50 seconds into the contest. Rockford continued to mount an attack, outshooting the Checkers 10-6 through the first 20 minutes, but couldn't escape the period with a lead, as Patrick Brown collected the rebound off a Kyle Hagel wrister and put it past Michael Leighton to even the score late in the frame.

The Checkers kept that momentum going into the second and notched the equalizer within the first five minutes, with Andrew Miller turning on the jets for a breakaway and firing one past Leighton. That stood as the only tally of the frame, and the home team carried a one-goal advantage into the final period.

Things tightened up for both teams in the third, with Rockford holding a slight edge in shots, but neither side could produce any results. The IceHogs pulled their netminder in the final minutes of regulation to try to spark a comeback, but the Checkers pounced, with Blair Jones and Derek Ryan burying two empty-net goals to ice a 4-1 victory, their fourth in a row.

Whereas last night's game saw the Checkers come out strong before letting the IceHogs back in, today's contest was the opposite, with the home team ramping up their play as the game progressed.

"It was a sluggish start for sure but we built momentum as the game went along," said head coach Mark Morris. "Once we got our sea legs we were a lot sharper and more committed to the way we need to play."

The IceHogs were able to create some solid chances in their offensive zone, but the Checkers stood strong, led by a 26-save performance by John Muse, who earned his fourth-straight win between the pipes for Charlotte.

"Our D corps did a wonderful job and our goaltender did a great job," said Morris. "As a group we're getting better defensively as we get used to our personnel and our systems. At this stage of the year you've got to be good defensively if you want to go anywhere and have a chance to play in the playoffs. This was a good sign for us to be able to keep a great team like that off the score sheet."

Tonight saw the Checkers' fourth line, comprised of Hagel, Brown and David Wohlberg, continue to produce, with Hagel extending his point streak to a career-high three games and Brown netting his fifth point in four nights.

That line's success has propelled the team through this winning streak.

"We all know what we're good at and we've embraced our role," said Brown of his line. "We get the puck behind their defensemen and we forecheck and out-work them in their zone long enough to get some goals. It's great for any team. Those big-time teams that win a lot of games, it's because they've got guys working hard that they can put up against the other team's top lines."

The Checkers have caught fire since acquiring a slew of new faces at the NHL and AHL trade deadlines. That doesn't seem to be a coincidence.

"It was almost kind of awkward," said Ryan of all the new faces in the locker room. "There's a silence in the dressing room and guys are feeling each other out, but in terms of the game and on the ice, I think we're a pretty dang good team. We've gelled together pretty quickly and found some scoring, some defense, some goaltending and it's all kind of coming together for us, whereas before in the middle of the season we kind of had none of that."

The Checkers seem to have come a long way since their month-long slump, and the feeling in the locker room reflects that.

"When you're winning, you're confident in your game, you're confident in your teammates and you're confident with what's going on around you," said Derek Ryan, who scored the second empty-net goal. "You get that swagger and you believe in our team, whereas when you're losing you start to doubt yourself and doubt your team as well. When you get on a little bit of a streak like this you feel good about yourself, guys are happy and it's a lot more comfortable to be around the arena."

Now in control of a playoff spot for the time being, the Checkers head out on a long road trip. In order to keep their upward trend going, they will need to channel the energy they have brought over the last four games.

"They're not going to be real happy about this trip to North Carolina, so we'll see their best," said Morris, referencing the team's next contest in Rockford on Tuesday. "We're going to have to have a great focus to continue on the winning trend. You always want to be playing your best hockey at the right time. We're trending that way so let's hope it continues."

"We just need to continue to play like we played in these last four games," said Ryan. "Chicago is a good team and Rockford is one of the best teams in the league, so if we're able to beat them two in a row we can pretty much beat anyone in the league."

NOTES

The Checkers' four-game win streak ties their longest of the season, set twice previously ... Charlotte finished the game in playoff position, though San Jose could push them back out if it was to win its game against Ontario later tonight ... Muse is now 4-1-0 with a 1.63 goals-against average and .929 save percentage since rejoining the Checkers via trade ... Brown extended his point streak to a career-high four games (2g, 3a) ... Kyle Hagel assisted on Brown's goal to extend his point streak to a career-best three games (1g, 2a) ... Miller has two goals in four games as a Checker. He briefly tied Ryan for the team's goals lead before Ryan reclaimed it with his empty-net tally ... Jones has four points (3g, 1a) in four games as a Checker ... Robertson had two assists (one on each empty-net goal) to record his first multi-point game of the season. He and defensive partner Trevor Carrick each finished with plus-3 ratings ... The Checkers are now 3-1-0 against Rockford this season. The teams play four more times, including Tuesday in Rockford ... Forwards Dane Fox, Brock McGinn and Valentin Zykov and defenseman Danny Biega missed the game due to injury ... Forward Brendan Woods and defenseman Tyler Ganly were healthy extras.

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